Nairobi residents back city takeover
Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has been accused of frustrating the takeover of key functions by the national government even as residents hailed the move by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Nairobi County Speaker Beatrice Elachi accused Sonko of using proxies to halt the process through courts and also working behind the scenes against the terms and conditions of the transfer agreement.
“The deal between the State and the county government is good for Nairobians and Sonko too, he should not go behind the scenes and try to sabotage it,” she said.
Elachi said the takeover was initiated by the County Assembly on January 9, after Members launched plans to impeach the governor over poor leadership.
“We had invited and requested the national government to help the county offer services. Services such as licensing, revenue collection, buildings approvals, garbage collection, pending bills and health have stalled,” she said.
She was speaking at the Kenya School of Government during the public participation on the takeover process.
On February 25, the national government took over health, transport, public works and planning and development Services.
She said Sonko has gone against the terms and conditions of the deal by advertising waiver of licenses fee.
Sonko has issued an order waiving Single Business Permits for all new businesses for youth and Persons Living with Disabilities from February.
“The deal ties Sonko and State from doing anything for 21 days but on his part he is up and running,” she said.
She accused Sonko of using his supporters in county to dump garbage in the city in a move calculate to frustrate the takeover.
But Nairobi residents welcomed the national government’s move to take over key county functions though they in the same breadth accused the State of using them to rubber-stamp the deal.
They spoke at Waithaka Social Hall in a public participation forum attended by Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) Principal Secretary Micah Powon.
Incompetent leaders
Joseph Ademba, a Community Health Volunteer from Waithaka Ward said the takeover should have involved voters who elected the county leadership.
“Why come and collect views from us after signing the agreement? Seems the end product is already known, therefore, we are being used as a rubber-stamp,” he said.
Ademba described the takeover as the best thing that has happened to Nairobi people who he said have been suffering in the hands of incompetent leaders.
“The county is sinking in garbage, no drugs in hospitals, most roads are impassable, unemployment and suffering of casuals who have gone for months without pay,” he said.
Monica Njeri accused MCAs of colluding with a governor accused of corruption.
She questioned why Sonko who is facing graft charges was being treated in “a special way,” perhaps in reference to former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, who was impeached in December last year over graft claims.
“If the MCAs did their job, misappropriation of public funds would have been checked, services would be improved but they have perfected the act of threatening the governor to get kick-backs,” she said.
The governor was accused of failing to devolve functions to sub-counties and ward levels retaining them at City Hall making it hard for residents to get better and quick services.
Elachi warned the national government against sideling the Assembly.
“You are not going to do things without bringing them to the county assembly so that we table and approve the framework to avoid conflict during the implementation,” she said.
Powon meanwhile assured residents that their views would be anchored in the agreement.
“The take over is in accordance with the law. You have raised critical issues on service delivery and that is why the national government has come in to improve them,” he said.
He said the County assembly remains the legislative arm of county government and oversight executive.
But Taa Vivienne, a Woodley resident told Devolution ministry officials at Joseph Kangethe social hall that she did not support the transfer of functions.
